Storm Effects 0Zutara0
by year of the snake
Summary: Written for the prompt rain. Why does Katara love the rain?


Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescent moon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**Storm Effects**

Everyone thought they knew why Katara was happiest when it rained. Being a water-bender the water falling from the sky had to lift her spirits, right? After all she absolutely loved being wet. Little did they know how far from the truth they were. But Katara would let them believe what they wanted for now. Besides the truth was not something most of them wanted to face. It could wait until after the Fire Lord was defeated.

The gang were sitting in the Fire Lord's own summer home while waiting out the rain, and for the time to attack. Outside a summer storm raged it's frustration with great sobs and tears. Yet Katara hummed while feeding the fire that was going to cook their food. Lunch was going to be warm today.

Zuko was lazing in a corner. He was drowsy on rainy days, if he didn't have something to do. And Katara knew that lazing wasn't quite what he was doing. He was sleeping, totally dead to the world around him. The screaming storm was probably so frustrated because it couldn't awaken the handsome man.

Katara snickered silently.

The fire was going quite nicely in the Fire Lord's stove. She set a pot of water on the stove top. Then she set a pot of oil beside it. As she had to wait for both pots to boil she walked across the large kitchen. She stopped beside Zuko.

She watched him breathe, the air coming from him warmed this part of the room nicely against the chill air flickering in through a few cracks in the wall. He shifted and ended up laying down on the bench he had been sitting on.

Katara stifled another laugh. Gently she picked up a dangling hand and carefully placed it on his chest so it wasn't touching the stone floor.

She soon noticed the water and oil had both began to boil. She put the freshly made noodles in the pot of water. She had convinced Zuko to cut them for her while she prepared the vegetable stuffed pouches of dough for the oil. She had known that soon after he finished he would fall asleep.

She liked watching him sleep. His face would be covered in an unaccustomed softness and often a smile, small and innocent. Even his scar's rough, unforgiving points and ridges lost their miserly hold on his skin.

She put two pockets in the boiling oil. It splattered up at her. Narrowly missing her exposed forearms and forehead. She sighed in relief. Then looked over her shoulder. The prince was still snoring his content to the storm.

Something loud hit the ground outside. The storm was not happy at all.

Again she looked at Zuko, he was now on his feet, looking around as alertly as he could with that dazed and confused look on his person.

gHave a nice nap?giggled Katara to hide her disappointment.

He blushed, ?-yeah."

She smiled and turned back to the food. She fished the two boiled pockets of veggies from the oil with a straining spoon. Then put to more in.

gStop laughing at grumbled.

Katara laughed again. ?t's hard not to. You'd think you were related to a Panda-Cat with how sleepy you get when it's rainy."

Katara couldn't hear what Zuko mumbled as he sat back down. Yet it sounded vaguely like something pouting Sokka would say.

Having another silent laugh Katara checked on the pouches in the oil. Almost ready to remove.

Zuko got up from his seat. He couldn't risk being so comfortable as to sleep in front of Katara again. It just didn't sit right with him. ?ere I'll do those. You go ahead and make the sauce for the noodles."

Katara smiled at him. ?hanks Zuko. That would be great."

He just nodded and took her spot in front of the stove. Secretly he watched Katara gather herbs and tomatoes.

Sokka wouldn't be too happy about the meal's lack of meat. Katara had cut off his access to meat when he insulted her cooking and Aang's vegetarian life in the same joke. No one else really minded the lack of meat. Suki even decided that if she ever needed to that denying Sokka meat would be profitable should he ever make her upset at him too. It was a little amusing.

They finished making lunch while they talked of various things. It was nice to just talk about things without Toph and Sokka around making sarcastic comments or Aang there to explain things that he didn't understand to, thus getting off topic.

Lunch went by quickly. Sokka left the table to nap. Suki went to mend the hem of her pants. Toph left to 'make sure Sokka had sweet dreams.' Which translated from Toph meant she was going to torment Sokka so he couldn't sleep. Zuko and Aang left to another room to train. This left Katara to clean the dishes. Not that she minded. You could see the courtyard and the training room from the window above the sink.

It was still raining out and the clouds were getting darker. So dark it was close to night. Still Katara could see the light from the training room. The light turned the rain drops from dark wet pebbles into shining sparks of light and color in the dark courtyard.

As was said at the beginning, Everyone thought they knew why Katara loved the rain. Everyone was wrong.

Someone stepped into the room. ?ey, I thought you could use some help."

gWhat about Aang?"

"I corrected some moves he wasn't doing right. He's practicing them at the moment. So I'm free to help. What would you like me to do?"

"You can smiled at the man.

He nodded. They finished the dishes soon enough.

They sat in front of the fire together. In a few minutes he nodded off on her shoulder.

'This,' Katara thought, 'is why I love the rain. It keeps the one I love close.' She smiled softly at the head sleeping on her shoulder. 'Someday when the war is over and people are more ready to hear it I will tell the world... You're why I love the rain.' She lightly brushed his hair from his eyes, letting her fingers kiss his forehead and cheek. The closest she could get to kissing Zuko... for now.

This was inspired by ZK-Underground? (on deviantART) prompt Rain. And is dedicated to sable-ambiguity of deviantART. Happy Late Birthday, I got it done for you! XD

I am having what will probably be my last big contest. So if you want a prize from me you better enter it. This is the current link, { }deviantart{ }com/journal/32410515/ (replace { } with a . )I may make an updated version but nothing much will change unless someone donates a prize or enters before then. =D

Please let me know what you think. Bye.


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